Description of Tool or App
Voki is a speaking avatar. Users create a character from a menu that allows for customization of hair, eyes, clothes. accessories, and background. They can record their voices, or choose a voice to read text that is typed. A Voki can be embedded in a variety of social networking tools. Educators can upgrade to Voki Ed.


Benefits of Tool or App
Voki is very simple to use. There are lesson plans available on the site, as well as pdf documents explaining how to get started in your classroom.


Constraints of Tool or App

Voki Classroom is a subscription account. Voki requires an email account to register; if your school email blocks the “activation” email from Voki, students may have to register at home. There are a lot of choices in creating an avatar, and some students might get sidetracked by exploring all the possibilities. It may be necessary to place a limit on the amount of time they have to create their avatar.


How To Use Tool or App

Begin by creating an account at www.voki.com. Choose your avatar and customize his or her hair, clothes, and background. Then you can record your audio using a microphone, calling in on your cellphone, or you can type your text and select a voice to read it. Publish your voki to a variety of social networking media, or get a code to embed the voki in your webpage or Web 2.0 tool, like Glogster.



Original Artifact of Tool or App (created by someone in your house)




Classroom Uses for Tool or App

Student Examples
  • book reviews/reports
  • simulations: students assume the persona of a literary character or historical figure
  • each-one-teach-one; students master a skill and explain it to the class
  • creating newscasts based on primary source documents
  • create e-pals to share with other students around the world
  • Language students can practice new skills

Teacher Examples
  • flipping the classroom; create voki lectures for students to view outside the classroom
  • substitute days; record a voki to explain assignments to students
  • make your classroom blog more interactive and more appealing to auditory learners.
  • provide human interaction in online learning environments